Why was the stone rolled away from the tomb?
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Not to let Jesus out, but to let His witnesses in. He had already risen, and that same evening He stood among His disciples behind shut doors (John 20:19). The stone was moved so the women could look in and see the tomb empty: "Come, see the place where the Lord lay" (Matthew 28:6).
What the text states
The tomb was closed with "a great stone" at "the door of the sepulchre" (Matthew 27:60), sealed, and watched (27:66). On the first day of the week the angel of the Lord "came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it" (28:2). But the Lord was already gone. Inside, the linen clothes lay where His body had been, and the napkin was "wrapped together in a place by itself" (John 20:7). That evening He came "when the doors were shut" and "stood in the midst" (20:19). He did not need the door opened to leave. The door was opened so the world could look in and see it empty.
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Verified. Every scripture quotation on this page has been checked word-for-word against the King James text. Last reviewed 2026-10-19.
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